Great Leaders Listen First and Speak Last

The simplest way to apply empathy is to learn to listen before speaking. As a leader, you don’t need to have all the answers, and you don’t need to know more than your employees to effectively lead them. Unless you are prepared to listen to your people’s ideas first, you’ll be commanding not communicating, dictating not leading, and creating followers instead of other leaders.

We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, so the next time you want to speak choose instead to listen. In listening to other’s opinions and having an unbiased view as they seek to understand, leaders gain trust exponentially faster than by telling others what to do.

A leader must not have all the answers but instead have all the questions. Successful communication in effective leaders often looks as 80% listening, and 20% or less speaking. Together, this ratio of listening to speaking ensures empathy rather than apathy and leadership that inspires rather than commands action.

If your culture at work is one of silos and internal competition – one where people try to show up as the smartest person in the room, speaking first, asking questions second, with a fixed mindset – you need to work on exchanging it for a mindset of continuous improvement, transparency, learning and listening, so you can bring out the best in people.

To succeed, leaders must remain open to receiving ideas from anyone and anywhere, and to recognize and support good ideas no matter where these come from. Listening will also help you connect with people on an emotional level, whilst showing others you genuinely care.

Leaders aren’t good because they are right but rather because they are willing to listen, learn, and bring out the best in others. So next time you feel the urge to speak first, listen.

To your success,

Isabel